"Cooper Flagg is a different cat": NCAAB insider makes bold predictions for Duke Freshman amid major USA select team success

Cooper Flagg's future looks bright, at least according to Jay Bilas. The ESPN basketball analyst recently recorded a video with FanDuel's acquisition strategy manager Ryan Hammer. In it, Bilas had nothing but the kindest words for the Duke player.

Here's some of what he said:

"Copper Flagg is a different cat... Let's put it this way, he's the lobster of college basketball. That dude, he's going to be really, really, if he stays healthy, he's going to be really, really good. You don't see guys like that very often. He's competitive too... He's going to be their (Duke's) best player and he'll be first-team All-American."

That's high praise from a former Blue Devil, as Bilas both played and was an assistant coach to Mike Krzyzewski at Duke in the early 1990s.

Cooper Flagg hasn't even played his first game in blue yet, but he is widely expected to be one of the top players in the nation next season. He's already expected to be the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg was the only non-NBA or former NBA player to be selected for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics' Team USA Basketball Team. This, despite the fact that he is 17 years old.

Cooper Flagg on playing for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

Flagg's performances during the training sessions of the US Olympic Team for the Paris games have left the internet flabbergasted. In a video of the indoor training session, Flagg can be seen scoring a three-pointer over All-NBA Defense selection Anthony Davis. He also made a mockery of Jrue Holiday and Bam Adebayo, the other two NBA Defense selections.

Speaking with USA Today about how he feels inside the Olympic squad, Flagg said:

“It just comes from my mindset, once the ball goes up, I'm just trying to win at all times. So, I'm just a competitor and that's what it boils down to. It's a little bit of adjustment being on the court with them, but at the same time, I'm just playing basketball and just trying to win.”

Cooper Flagg and the US Olympic Team begin their participation in the Paris Olympics on July 28, when they face Serbia. The US is grouped in Group C, alongside Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico.